In the arts, encryption of image data is often used as a means for ensuring that only authorized persons/entities can decode a transmitted file which has been encrypted using some mechanism. Having access to the image and the proper decryption key, the recipient of the transmitted file/message can decode the information contained therein. There are several methods to encrypt the data which are relatively widely known in the arts. Most notably are methods wherein the single key necessary to decrypt the data is held in secret by both the sender and receiver. As such, only possession of the same key as the one used by the transmitter to encrypt the data will enable proper decoding of the received file.
However, public keys have since gained favor in the arts. Public keys allow one to encrypt data using one key and the receiver to decrypt the transmitted file using another key. In such a manner, one can make either the encrypting or decrypting keys public but does not have to reveal both keys. In this way, one is able to send or receive information securely without any one person being in possession of both keys. In the case wherein the decryption key is made public, the data is said to be “signed”, (i.e., it can be decrypted by anyone with knowledge of the signature which identifies which decryption key to utilize). In this manner, nobody can recreate the encryption used because the encryption key is held in secret and is not available to the public.
Watermarking, on the other hand, embeds extra data into the original input data which is supposed to be “invisible” so that the authorized receiver of the transmitted file can authenticate the sender. However, an unauthorized receiver of the transmitted file may be able to recognize the originality of the embedded watermark and thereby recognize its author. Also, watermarks are relatively easy to reproduce with modern computing and graphic arts equipment thus enabling an unknown third-party to send files to recipients who, in turn, believe them to be originals sent by somebody they recognize as the author of the embedded watermark.
The invention herein disclosed deals with images and image compression techniques utilizing, in part, standard as well as non standard compression systems based on the transformation of the image data. One widely used method for compression of gray and color images is the JPEG image compression standard. The book entitled: “JPEG: Still Image Data Compression System”, by Pennebaker and Mitchell, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1992, (incorporated herein by reference), is a rather authoritative reference on JPEG and adequately describes most, if not all, of its relevant aspects. JPEG is based on the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) of an image. The book also describes in detail techniques regarding DCT techniques and implementations.
Another aspect of this invention is related to JPEG 2000, an image compression technique aimed as replacing JPEG as a new standard. An article entitled: “JPEG 2000: Overview Architecture and Applications”, by Gormish et. al., in Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference in Image Processing, Vancouver, Canada, 2000, (incorporated herein by reference), provides an overview of the JPEG 2000 image compression method. Details of this method can be found in the standards documentation: ISO/IEC IS 15444-1 entitled: “JPEG 2000: Image Coding System”. JPEG 2000 is based on the wavelet transform of an image.
The book entitled: “Wavelets and Sub-band Coding”, by Vetterli and Kovacevic, Prentice-Hall, 1995, (incorporated herein by reference), teaches the operation of wavelet transforms of an image.
The article “A Public Key Watermark for Image Verification and Authentication” authored by P. Wong, which appears at the IEEE Proceedings of the International Conference on Image Processing, Chicago Ill. 1998, discloses a method to authenticate a digital image by means of computing a hash function correlated with the contents of the most significant bit planes of the image, and by embedding the said hash function into the least significant bit plane of the image.
The article entitled: “Watermarking of Digital Image and Video Data”, by Langelaar et. al., IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, pp. 20-46, Vol. 17, No. 5, September 2000, (incorporated herein by reference), presents a general overview of image watermarking techniques. The article describes a method to embed data into JPEG compressed images by modifying the sum of the DCT coefficients.
The article “Images with self-correcting capabilities”, by J. Fridrich and M. Goljan, which appears at the Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Image Processing, Kobe, Japan, October 1999, discloses a method to self embed image contents within the image data itself for providing self correcting mechanisms in case of corruption. The method relies on embedding compressed data of some image portions into the least significant bits of other image regions. According to said reference, each image block can be compared to the information stored in other blocks of the image, to detect and correct changes posterior to the inclusion of the self correcting information.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,770 entitled: “Image Authentication Patterning”, to Schipper et. al., (incorporated herein by reference), discloses an apparatus for producing a self-authenticating visual image of a selected view using a digital camera with a position determining system. The image's position information is incorporated in a digital image by altering selected pixel bit values for a selected authentication pattern of pixels in a chosen subset of the pixel array; wherein authentication pattern is determined using the image's position information. The position information also may be encrypted and stored separate from the image itself. The authentication pattern is then represented by an authentication key (i.e., a single number or an ordered sequence of numbers) that is transmitted with the modified digital image along with the incorporated position information. The authentication pattern is preferably chosen so that any circle or other connected pixel region of diameter at least equal to a selected number contains at least one pixel from the chosen subset. The pixel array may be overlaid by a set of polygons, such as triangles, rectangles, parallelograms or hexagons, with at least one pixel from the chosen subset embedded in each polygon.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,936 entitled: “System For Embedding Authentication Information Into an Image and an Image Alteration Detecting System”, to Shuichi et. al., discloses a method to embed authentication information into an image in order for the receiver to detect the identity of a received photographic image. By supplying the authentication information integrally with the image data, the recipient is able to verify the image without the necessity of having to save the authentication information by converting the light inputted through an optical system to an electric signal, a CCD outputs an analog signal of an image which is converted to a digital signal. In response to the digital signal of the image a digital camera having region dividing capability divides the digital image into first and second regions. Authentication information is then generated from data in a first region and then encrypted. The encrypted authentication information is subsequently embedded into a second image region. The first and second image regions are then combined.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,779 entitled: “Photographic System With Selected Area Image Authentication”, to Squilla et. al., discloses a public key encryption for authenticating an image which includes a digital camera having embedded therein a private key unique to that particular camera. A known public key uniquely based upon the private key is used to decrypt digital data from that camera in order to establish authenticity of an image. The encryption system further comprises means for generating one or more patterns each composed of at least one individual area that is visible together with the image of the object, means for designating at least one individual area as an active area of the image suitable for authentication and for generating location data identifying the active area, and means for calculating an image hash from image data of the active area of the image using a predetermined hash algorithm. The image hash is then encrypted with the embedded private key thereby producing a digital signature uniquely associated with the active area of the image, the image data, the digital signature, and the location data of the active area stored in a digital record. By confining encryption to this selected region of interest, power requirements for subsequent hashing and encryption are reduced thus providing an advantage for portable devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,294 entitled: “Digital Camera with Apparatus for Authentication of Images Produced from an Image File”, to Friedman, discloses a digital camera equipped with a processor for authentication of images produced from an image file taken by the digital camera. The digital camera processor has embedded therein a private key unique to it, and the camera housing has a public key that is uniquely related to the private key such that digital data encrypted with the private key may be decrypted using the public key. The digital camera processor comprises means for calculating a hash of the image file using a predetermined algorithm, and second means for encrypting the image hash with the private key, thereby producing a digital signature. The image file and the digital signature are stored in suitable recording means so they will be available together. Apparatus for authenticating the image file as being free of any alteration uses the public key for decrypting the digital signature, thereby deriving a secure image hash identical to the image hash produced by the digital camera and used to produce the digital signature. The authenticating apparatus calculates from the image file an image hash using the same algorithm as before. By comparing this last image hash with the secure image hash, authenticity of the image file is determined if they match. Other techniques to address time-honored methods of deception, such as attaching false captions or inducing forced perspectives, are included.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,218 entitled: “Method and Apparatus for In-Camera Image Marking and Authentication”, to Steinberg, discloses a camera with a built in microprocessor system programmed to receive an input password and indicia from a host computer. The camera is configured to use the indicia in combination with a conversion formula to mark an original acquired image in a non-destructive manner to form modified image data and add the indicia to an image header. The camera also creates image authentication data for comparison with corresponding data of a questionable second image to determine if the second image is the same as or different from the original image. This process of marking and creating authentication data all occur during acquisition and prior to any image data storage in a medium from which a person could subsequently access data. The camera takes the authentication data and stores it along with the marked image data in memory for subsequent transmission to the host computer. The authentication involves the creation of checksum data, involving the addition of pixel values from each image row and each image column. These sums are then stored in a lookup table for future use in comparing with the result of the same checksum calculation done on questionable image data at a future time. The original image can be viewed only through presentation of the password.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,458 entitled: “Precomputing and Encoding Compressed Image Enhancement Instructions”, to Silverstein et. al., (incorporated herein by reference), discloses a method to enhance a decompressed image.
The “Handbook of Applied Cryptography”, by Menezes et. al., CRC Press, 1998, (incorporated herein by reference), described basic algorithms for cryptography and data hashing.
What is needed in this art is a system and method for encoding verification information into JPEG image data files prior to transmission to an intended recipient by the file's author and which enables the recipient to decode the verification information so as to ascertain whether the received image file originated from a known identified source and/or whether the contents of the file have been altered in some fashion prior to receipt.